EU-funded AI linked to rights violations in Middle East

European Union funding and exports of artificial intelligence technologies are contributing to human rights violations in Palestine and across parts of the Middle East, according to a report by Palestinian digital rights organisation 7amleh, The New Arab reported on 16 March.

EU-backed technologies used in migration control, surveillance and military systems are expanding monitoring and repression in the region. These include biometric identification systems, predictive security software and data analysis tools deployed by governments and security agencies.

According to 7amleh, such technologies are “exacerbating surveillance and rights violations, hindering democratic participation and reinforcing discrimination”.

The findings come despite the European Union adopting a comprehensive Artificial Intelligence Act in 2024 aimed at regulating high-risk AI systems and protecting fundamental rights. Technologies developed or financed in Europe are increasingly deployed outside the bloc where regulatory oversight is weaker.

It identified three main pathways through which EU-linked AI systems are used across the Middle East and North Africa.

The first involves EU-funded migration management programmes in North African countries including Egypt, Moroccoand Tunisia. These use technologies such as biometric identification tools and risk analysis systems, to monitor migration routes toward Europe. Artificial intelligence tools are increasingly used in border monitoring, raising concerns about privacy and rights protections, according to The Parliament Magazine.

A second pathway involves European research and investment funding for Israeli companies developing AI-based surveillance and military technologies. Some projects financed through European research programmes have supported systems including AI-enabled drones and algorithms used to track Palestinians.

High-risk AI systems developed by European companies have also been exported to governments and security agencies in the region. These include facial recognition technology, smart city surveillance infrastructure and digital monitoring networks.

In Palestine, cameras produced by European companies form part of a broader network used to monitor Palestinian movement. In Egypt, European technology firms have installed large AI-enabled camera systems for security monitoring.

Human rights organisations have warned that artificial intelligence systems used for surveillance can enable mass monitoring and discrimination if deployed without safeguards. Amnesty International has said governments must ensure AI technologies comply with international human rights standards.

Legal loopholes allow companies to export technologies considered high risk under EU rules to countries where safeguards against misuse may be limited. The issue has prompted calls for stronger oversight of EU funding and exports linked to artificial intelligence systems.

The New Arab, Amnesty International, The Parliament, Maghrebi.org